Opinion Contributor

Americans depend on a strong CDC

To meet these urgent demands, CDC had to pull in more than 300 staff as well as countless other state and local personnel. The fungal meningitis outbreak is just one of many outbreaks that required a major CDC response so far this year. Multiple food-borne outbreaks, emergence of new strains of swine flu in the Midwest and cases of plague in Western states require CDC’s full attention. Add to that global health concerns such as a SARS-like virus tracked to the Middle East and ongoing avian influenza in Asia, both just a plane ride away from the United States. Events like these underscore the critical nature — and potential vulnerability — of CDC and the public health network it leads to protect our nation.

As doctors, scientists and former CDC directors, we know that we cannot afford to shortchange our frontline protection against these emerging and ongoing domestic and global health threats. And yet, the projected budget cuts throughout the government threaten to do just that — significantly curtail CDC’s ability to detect and rapidly respond to health crises wherever they occur. As funding priorities are debated and ultimately decided, we implore our elected officials to invest in CDC and strengthen its capacity to build and sustain the science, outbreak detection and response capability — and overall agility to protect our citizens, our businesses and our economy.

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The role of government in a number of areas can be debated, but we believe there is consensus on the vital governmental role in preventing disease and working to mitigate the damage in situations such as the meningitis outbreak.

We served under presidents on both sides of the political aisle, so we know that ensuring CDC is well resourced is not a partisan issue. We need to be mindful that it is essential to ensuring the public’s health and our nation’s economic security.

If polio and other devastating childhood diseases like whooping cough, cholera, and small pox hadn't been thwarted by government health agencies like the CDC, vast numbers of Tealibani seniors would be too infirm to be a political force.